Union has had a great season, but now it has to do without a lot of strongholds. Whether they can prove themselves without these established values remains to be seen. However, it starts at home against perhaps the weakest team at the start of the competition, namely Roeselare. An excellent opportunity to make a good start to the competition.
Union Saint-Gilloise:
For the fans of Union it is still a bit of a wait and see what the coming season will bring. Players such as Youssouff Niakaté and Percy Tau have left (Selemani is still uncertain), but no real substitutes have arrived. So it will not be easy for the Danish new coach Thomas Christiansen. Of course he has no easy assignment, because doing better than last season is almost impossible.
Of course he has to try that, and promotion remains an ambition in mind of the board, the players, and the supporters. The club must strive for this and go for it fully, but that will not be easy without the names mentioned above. The preparation was certainly very well finished, with only one defeat with the slightest difference against Club Brugge. Results to build on!
Roeselare:
At Roeselare, things are not going smoothly for the time being. The selection is small and the new CEO has not yet arranged for incoming transfers. This means that the team has to start the competition with a very small selection. There are also a lot of contracts given to the youth players. That in itself is a very positive thing for Belgian football, but you naturally nestle yourself in uncertainty by following this path.
Perhaps the biggest problem with this team is the lack of a trainer. Yannick Ferrera is now whispered in the corridors. That would be a huge step in the right direction, but nothing is certain yet. Moreover, he did not participate in the preparation, which, incidentally, went fairly neutral. A lot of draws were played, something we are already used to at Roeselare.
PREDICTION: St. Gilloise to win @ 1,75
